1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stereoscopic image display device using an image splitter allowing a viewer to perceive stereoscopic images, an adjustment method used in the stereoscopic image display device and a stereoscopic image display system, and enables a display panel designed for two-dimensional images to display stereoscopic images.
2. Description of Prior Art
Significant technological advances in a recent electronic display field have permitted upsizing and high definition of display screens. With the increase in size and the improvement in definition, a ratio of an image on the display screen to a human's visual field increases; therefore it became possible to place pixels at high densities beyond a resolution power of human's eyes. This makes images more realistic and natural, and creates much sense of realism on the screen. However, the current electronic displays have a limitation of creating more natural and more realistic images because images are two-dimensional while real-world objects are three-dimensional.
By the way, human beings see objects stereoscopically by a faculty of their left and right eyes. If the objects can be stereoscopically displayed, more realism will be created. This motivates researchers to study actively on the stereoscopic display of objects lately.
In the past, various kinds' of stereoscopic image display devices have been proposed. Among those devices, well known is a stereoscopic image display device without special glasses that comprises optical splitting means such as a lenticular lens and parallax barrier. JP268232/1998A proposes a stereoscopic image display device comprising a backlight, a liquid crystal panel as a display panel, and a parallax barrier arranged on a viewer's side of the liquid crystal panel.
In the conventional stereoscopic image display devices, the optical splitting means such as the parallax barrier is installed to the display panel after adjusting their relative positions. Once they are out of the relative positions, a stereoscopic view cannot be created or interference fringes produced by interlacing left eye images and right eye images are perceived. Therefore the optical splitting means is usually not removed after precisely adjusted and installed at a position relative to the display panel. In other words, the display panel in the conventional stereoscopic image display device is prepared for the exclusive use of a stereoscopic view.
With the remarkable widespread use of liquid crystal display devices and notebook personal computers in recent times, the desire to observe stereoscopic view with these devices easily has been growing.
However, the conventional stereoscopic image display devices are exclusively to see stereoscopic images, so liquid crystal displays of commercial personal computers are unserviceable for stereoscopic images. This problem has been hampering the above desire.
In addition, it is too complicated to adjust the relative positions between the optical splitting means and the display panel for someone with less or no experience under present circumstances.